Engagement device particularly for toothed bands for sports shoes

Abstract: An engagement device, particularly usable for toothed bands of sports shoes, such as for example ski boots, roller skates or ice skates, including a single body (7) that can be associated with the shoe and has at least one first slot (13) for the sliding insertion of the toothed band. First teeth (18) for the temporary engagement with traction of the band are provided at the first slot. There is also a curved surface (20) suitable to force the interaction of the set of teeth (17) of the band (16) with the first teeth (18).

Description: The present invention relates to an engagement device usable for toothed bands of shoes, particulary sport shoes, such as for example ski boots, ice skates or roller skates. Currently, these kinds of shoes are usually constituted by a shell with which at least one quarter is associated. In order to secure the shell or the quarter it is known to use levers which are pivoted to a baseplate, that must be associated for example with a flap of the shell, and interact for example with the end of a toothed band which is associated, at its other end, with the other flap of the shell by virtue of mechanical retention means, such as for example a block provided with a pawl that can be actuated by means of a pushbutton and with which the set of teeth of the band engages. This solution for engaging the band with the shell or quarter has some drawbacks: in fact, on one hand the block must be riveted to the shell or quarter, and on the other hand said block protrudes from said shell or quarter. Thus, in case of accidental impacts said block cannot be replaced by the user, as replacement usually requires the aid of specialized personnel. Last but not least, the block has a certain number of components, such as the pawl, the baseplate, one or more springs, pivots and rivets, which require assembly operations to obtain the finished part. For example, U.S. patent No. 4,229,862 discloses a lever connectable to a baseplate which can be associated with the shell or with the quarter by means of a link; said lever has, between its wings, a ratchet-like element that interacts with a toothed band insertable between said ratchet-like element and the lever. This solution is constructively complicated and in any case, as regards the engagement with the shell or quarter, it has considerable protrusions that can lead to unwanted accidental impacts. EP-A-0 220 784 discloses a ratchet fastener for a toothed band of a closure lever, including a base to be fixed to a ski boot flap having a pair of lateral sides, and a movable dentelated body which is connected to the lateral sides of the base by means of a pair of sliding and spaced apart pins. This fastener is also constructively complicated requiring many separately manufactured parts which must be assembled to form the fastener. A principal object of the present invention is therefore to eliminate the above-described drawbacks in known types by providing an engagement device that allows to rapidly and easily connect a toothed band with a shell or a quarter and at the same time has very limited protrusions with respect to said shell or quarter. Within the scope of this object, another important object is to provide an engagement device that allows to optimally lock one end of a toothed band that interacts, at its other end, with a lever for tensioning it. Another important object is to provide an engagement device in which it is possible to adjust the useful length of the band without requiring levers or moving elements such as pawls that interact in a ratchet-like manner with the set of teeth of said band. Another important object is to provide an engagement device which is reliable and safe in use and has a very simple structure, an extremely small number of components and low manufacturing costs. With these and other objects in view, there is provided, according to the present invention, an engagement device for a toothed band of sports shoes, as defined in the appended claims. Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of a particular embodiment thereof, illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein: figure 1 is a lateral perspective view of a shell with which a quarter is associated and to which the engagement device is applied; figure 2 is a first lateral perspective view of the device; figure 3 is a top view of the device; figure 4 is a second lateral perspective view of the device; figure 5 is a side view of the device, applied to a sports shoe portion; figure 6 is a sectional view of the device taken along the plane VI-VI of figure 3; figure 7 is a view, similar to the preceding one, of the device with the toothed band inserted therein; figure 8 is a bottom view of the device. With reference to the above figures, the reference numeral 1 designates a sports shoe comprising a shell 2 to which at least one quarter 3 is articulated. The engagement device, designated by the reference numeral 4, is associable at a portion of the boot, particularly at a flap 5 of the shell 2 or at a lateral end 6 of the quarter 3. Said engagement device is constituted by a single body 7, made of rigid plastics, which has a head 8 below which an annular ridge 9 is joined to a tab 10 which protrudes radially from said ridge; a lug 11 protrudes on the opposite side from the annular ridge 9. Advantageously, the height of the annular ridge 9 is approximately equal to the thickness of the shell 2 and of the quarter 3, so as to allow the snap-together insertion, within the shell or quarter, of the tab 10 through an adapted hole 12 formed on said shell or quarter. A first slot 13 is formed at the head 8, which is hollow; first means for the temporary engagement with traction of a band 16 are provided at said slot, and said band has a set of teeth 17 which is directed toward the shell or quarter. Preferably, the first slot 13 is formed along an axis which is approximately transverse to the tab 10. Said first means are thus constituted by one or more first teeth 18 formed at the end of the first slot 13 which is adjacent to the lug 11. Preferably, the first teeth 18 have mutually different angles and dimensions: starting from the region adjacent to the lug 11 toward the tab 10, said first teeth increase in size and advantageously differ in their inclination. In any case, the inclination of the first teeth 18 is generally opposite to the inclination of the set of teeth 17 of the band 16, so that the loose end 19 of said band, once it has been inserted in the first slot 13, cannot be extracted by applying an axial force, due to the engagement of the teeth 17 with the first teeth 18. A curved surface 20 is formed inside the head 8 on the side opposite to the first teeth 18 and facilitates the insertion of the loose end 19 of the band. Furthermore, the inclination of said curved surface 20 is such that the loose end 19 of the band 16 interacts, during insertion thereof in the first slot 13, with the bottom 14 of the tab 10. Said tab, which advantageously is laterally provided with walls 21a and 21b, constitutes the second supporting means for said band. Said second means, and thus the particular curved surface 20 and the bottom 14 of the tab 10, are suitable to force interaction of the set of teeth 17 of the band 16 with the first temporary engagement means and thus with the first teeth 18, ensuring engagement thereof. The plane of arrangement of the bottom 14 is in fact at a lower level than the plane of arrangement of the first teeth 18. Use of the device is as follows: once the body 7 has been associated with the shell or quarter, the loose end 19 of the band 16 is inserted through the first slot 13. In this manner, the loose end 19 is guided, by means of the curved surface 20, to the bottom 14 of the tab 10, giving the band 16 an S-shaped deformation that ensures reliable engagement of the set of teeth 17 with the first teeth 18. The other end of the band 16 must naturally be connected to a lever which, during the securing operation, further forces the set of teeth 17 of the band 16 to interact with the first teeth 18. By lifting the band 16, it is possible to vary its useful length, inserting it fully or partially in the first slot 13. It has thus been observed that the invention has achieved the intended aim and objects, an engagement device for toothed bands having been obtained which allows optimum coupling to the loose ends of said bands and to select their useful length with the assurance of optimum resistance to axial tractions applied to the band, although the device maintains an extremely simple structure with an extremely reduced number of components. Furthermore, the shape of the head 8 and of the body 7 is such that only a very limited part protrudes with respect to the outer lateral surface of the shell and of the quarter, said part being deprived of catches for blunt bodies, such as for example the poles and the ground during sports practice. The engagement device according to the invention is naturally susceptible to numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the same inventive concept. Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the scope of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims: Engagement device for a toothed band of a shoe, particularly sports shoes, such as ski boots, roller skates or ice skates, the engagement device comprising a single body (7) that can be associated with a shoe portion and which has at least one first slot (13) for the sliding insertion of the loose end (19) of said toothed band, first means (18) for the temporary engagement with traction of said band being provided in said single body. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said first means are provided at said at least one first slot, and in that said device has second supporting means (10,20) suitable to force the interaction of the set of teeth of said band with said first means. Device according to claim 1, usable in sports shoes, comprising a shell (2) with which at least one quarter (3) is associated, characterized in that it is associable at a flap (5) of said shell or at a lateral end (6) of said at least one quarter, said single body (7) being made of rigid plastics and having a partially hollow head (8). Device according to claim 3, characterized in that an annular ridge (9) is provided below said head and is joined, in a downward region, to a tab (10) which protrudes radially therefrom. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that said first slot (13) is formed on said head (8) transversely to said tab (10). Device according to claim 4, characterized in that the height of said annular ridge (9) is approximately equal to the thickness of said shell or quarter and can be arranged, in a snap-together manner, within an adapted hole (12) formed on said shell or quarter. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that a lug (11) protrudes from said annular ridge (9) on the side opposite to said tab. Device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first means (18) for the temporary engagement with traction of a band are provided at said first slot, and in that tension can be applied to said band at its other end by a lever or another tensioning device, said band having a set of teeth (17) directed toward said shell or quarter. Device according to claim 8, characterized in that said first means are constituted by one or more first teeth (18) formed at said first slot (13) and parallel thereto starting from its end which is adjacent to said lug (11), said first teeth having an inclination which is approximately opposite to the inclination of said set of teeth (17). Device according to claim 9, characterized in that said one or more first teeth (18) have mutually different dimensions and angles of inclination with respect to said bottom of said tab. Device according to claim 10, characterized in that said one or more first teeth have, starting from the region adjacent to said lug toward said tab, dimensions that increase up to said opening and different inclinations. Device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lower surface (20) of said head, on the side opposite to said one or more first teeth, is curved so as to facilitate the insertion of the loose end of said band and make it slide until it reaches said bottom (14) of said tab. Device according to claim 12, characterized in that said curved surface (20) and said bottom (14) constitute said second supporting means which are suitable to force the interaction of said set of teeth of said band with said first means constituted by said one or more first teeth. Device according to claim 13, characterized in that the plane of arrangement of said bottom (14) is at a lower level than the planes of arrangement of said one or more first teeth (18). Device according to claim 14, characterized in that said tab has two lateral walls (21a,21b) that protrude at right angles from said bottom and guide the sliding of said band.

Inventors: MIOTTO ONORIO, ZORZI CLAUDIO, MIOTTO, ONORIO, ZORZI, CLAUDIO
Applicants: AM SRL, BENETTON SPORTSYSTEM SPA, AM S.R.L., BENETTON SPORTSYSTEM S.P.A.
Application year: 1994
Main classification: A43C11
IPC codes: A43B5, A43C11, B65D63